World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka decided to pull out of the Dubai Duty Free Championships, citing a left ankle injury, while former top-ranked star and reigning champion Caroline Wozniacki was among Wednesday's second-round winners at the $2 million tennis event.
Fresh off his title in Sao Paulo last week, reigning Buenos Aires champion Nicolas Almagro continued his winning ways Tuesday with a first-round victory at the Copa Claro tennis event.
Fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska and former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic moved on, while sixth-seeded Marion Bartoli was a first-round upset victim Tuesday at the $2 million Dubai Duty Free Championships.
Seventh-seeded Swede Johanna Larsson needed two hours, 14 minutes, but she escaped her opening-round match at the $220,000 Memphis International tennis event on Sunday.
Russia's Alexandra Panova and unknown Spaniard Lara Arruabarrena-Vecino will play for the title at the Copa Colsanitas tennis tournament after winning semifinal matches on Saturday.
Swiss great Roger Federer, former Wimbledon runner-up Tomas Berdych and former U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro were a trio of quarterfinal winners Friday at the $1.6 million ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament.